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9 Common Words You Never Knew Were Actually Acronyms/Initialisms

The name for this weapon isn’t just a random word someone made up because it sounded cool. It actually stands for Thomas A Swift Electric Rifle. The inventor, Jack Cover, named it after his favorite children’s book character, Tom Swift.

Yahoo

The creators of the Google competitor, Yahoo, had a great sense of humor. Yahoo stands for Yet Another Hierarchal Office Oracle. Add that to your trivia knowledge.

M&M's

Have you ever wondered why those little colored chocolate candies are called M&M’s? This classic candy was named after Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie who began production of the candy for the military in WWII: Mars & Murrie.

Smart Car

The smart Car didn’t get its name because it was an intelligent automobile. It began as a project between Swatch and Mercedes. The name, Swatch and Mercedes Art Car, was shortened into the name we know today.

Adidas

This famous sport brand got its name from the founder, Adolf (Adi) Dassler. Adi had a bother, Rudolf, who went on to found Puma, Adidas’s competitor. Talk about a family feud.

ZIP Code

Did you know ZIP code even stood for something? Instead of just being a cool word, ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan. ZIP codes were created by the US Postal Service to deliver mail more efficiently.

GEICO

Everyone knows the little green gecko. But this insurance agency was not named after it’s beloved mascot. GEICO stands for Government Employees Insurance Company.

CVS

This drugstore name is an acronym for Consumer Value Stores. The pharmacy was founded in Massachusetts in 1963 and has grown to the be the second largest pharmacy, behind Walgreens.

Canola Oil

This vegetable oil is a staple item in every kitchen. We have Canada to thank for it, they even named it after themselves. It was originally called Canada Oil Low Acid, but it was abbreviated into the Canola Oil we all know.